"I've heard of spirit photography before, I've just never seen it in person." When looking through boxes at their house Ryan finds an old video camera. Excited about the find he begins to walk around filming everything. He begins to notice strange things through the lens and when he looks at tapes of movies filmed with the camera he makes a horrifying discovery. This is a series that has been on the decline ever since the first one. Each one tries to do something different than the others, and this one actually shows the activity rather then showing things happening without knowing why. This new idea makes things not as creepy to me. Seeing a chair start to rock without seeing something do it is scarier then seeing a ghost move around. This movie, however, much like every other sequel, is almost review proof. This is the 5th movie in the series and by now you are looking forward to the new one or not. As for me this is a series that should probably stop. If you can't improve on the last one don't make it. They haven't reached Batman & Robin status with the franchise yet but they are on their way. Overall, not un- watchable but another drop off from the previous one. I give this a C+.
163 Reviews
Hmmm...
fil-nik0926 December 2015
I think I read somewhere on the movie poster that this one is different and that it shows the story from the other side... Well, if it did, then it is not anything special.
I watched all the paranormal activity movies and even a parody. I watched them all not because I really liked them or enjoyed much but because I like horror films and those are rare nowdays - I mean the good ones. so, I was hoping with each one of these that one might be good, but... I mean, they are not bad entirely, but not something special either. I was surprised when the 1st one was voted somewhere as the scariest horror of all time!!!??? Say what?!
This one starts promising, but that is all that is interesting. The little girl is good. Mum is just ... whatever. Dad - well, at least he is kinda sexy so he passes as well as that blond girl ( which, by the way, I did not get why she is even in the house?! - a babysitter?!)
So, Toby is evil, he is in the house for 6 days and the family goes around filming... Yeah,right. That is what bothers me in all of these films. I mean, I know it IS a movie. But if you use hand camera to make a movie look more realistic, please let people do realistic things too. But no ...
All in all, if you don't have anything better to do - go ahead. A few thrills and it is over. 5 from me.
I watched all the paranormal activity movies and even a parody. I watched them all not because I really liked them or enjoyed much but because I like horror films and those are rare nowdays - I mean the good ones. so, I was hoping with each one of these that one might be good, but... I mean, they are not bad entirely, but not something special either. I was surprised when the 1st one was voted somewhere as the scariest horror of all time!!!??? Say what?!
This one starts promising, but that is all that is interesting. The little girl is good. Mum is just ... whatever. Dad - well, at least he is kinda sexy so he passes as well as that blond girl ( which, by the way, I did not get why she is even in the house?! - a babysitter?!)
So, Toby is evil, he is in the house for 6 days and the family goes around filming... Yeah,right. That is what bothers me in all of these films. I mean, I know it IS a movie. But if you use hand camera to make a movie look more realistic, please let people do realistic things too. But no ...
All in all, if you don't have anything better to do - go ahead. A few thrills and it is over. 5 from me.
An entertaining and well-paced horror film with some irritating flaws
spydervein16 August 2016
I approached this movie with low expectations due to the negative reviews and the slipshod quality of Paranormal Activity 4. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised to discover that this movie did not suffer from the plodding pace of the first movie or the frustratingly unintelligent characters that were featured in PA2 and PA4 (recall that the father in the second movie had cameras installed but then refused to watch the recorded footage). This entry moves along at a brisk pace and is never boring, and you never have to wait too long for some creepy visuals or a good jump scare (yes, there are jump scares and this will turn some viewers off, but it didn't bother me as I was in the mood to be startled). The character of Mike is somewhat annoying but he's there to serve as comic relief.
Many of the visual effects are subtle and done quite well, such as the particles and shapes captured by the modified "ghost camera," but the use of CGI becomes much too heavy-handed in the latter half of the film. Whereas most of the scares are done very well, a few of the CGI effects seen near the end of the movie are more funny than scary and this is not a good thing; sparser use of computer- generated visuals would have been a wise move, but instead they were VERY liberal with its application here (especially in comparison with the previous entries). Also, without spoiling anything, there are some frustrating problems raised by the plot twists that occur near the end of the film and PA5 ultimately creates more questions than it answers.
Fans who were hoping for a neat and tidy wrap-up to the franchise will be somewhat disappointed with PA5. However, if you accept that these films have had convoluted plots from PA2 onward and you're just in the mood to be scared and entertained, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's a solid popcorn movie for a rainy night.
Just don't puzzle over the continuity of the plot too much... You'll give yourself a migraine.
Many of the visual effects are subtle and done quite well, such as the particles and shapes captured by the modified "ghost camera," but the use of CGI becomes much too heavy-handed in the latter half of the film. Whereas most of the scares are done very well, a few of the CGI effects seen near the end of the movie are more funny than scary and this is not a good thing; sparser use of computer- generated visuals would have been a wise move, but instead they were VERY liberal with its application here (especially in comparison with the previous entries). Also, without spoiling anything, there are some frustrating problems raised by the plot twists that occur near the end of the film and PA5 ultimately creates more questions than it answers.
Fans who were hoping for a neat and tidy wrap-up to the franchise will be somewhat disappointed with PA5. However, if you accept that these films have had convoluted plots from PA2 onward and you're just in the mood to be scared and entertained, you'll probably enjoy this one. It's a solid popcorn movie for a rainy night.
Just don't puzzle over the continuity of the plot too much... You'll give yourself a migraine.
This time, you will see the activity. And the lazy writing. And the cheap 3D gimmick.
moviewizguy23 October 2015
Remember Saw? Remember what happened to that franchise? After becoming a Halloween staple, it was immediately overshadowed by the newer, fresher Paranormal Activity series, with the last Saw using 3D as a final resort to churn out one more film from the dying franchise. Now, we're seeing the same thing from Paranormal Activity. In fact, the desperation to milk one last film is apparent, and it's sad. Alas, this is the cycle every horror franchise goes through. I have to admit, I personally enjoyed this series longer than I would expect. To call PA4 disappointing is an understatement, but The Marked Ones made up for it and surprised the hell out of me.
However, TGD is easily the worst film in the series, one of the worst films of the year, and a sad, cynical, soulless attempt to salvage whatever is left from this franchise. There's literally nothing memorable here, nothing iconic. It's all so generic and inept, from the constant jump scares, to the forgettable actors, to the 3D, which is used in the most clichéd way possible. The story doesn't make a lick of sense compared to all the buildup in the previous films, most likely due to the noticeable absence of Christopher Landon, who wrote all the sequels up until this point. And why the hell did it take two years for four writers to write the script? Was that really necessary? Overall, there's not much to be said about TGD because there's not much to actually talk about. By the time of writing this review, I've already forgotten about 90% of the movie, and you will too. So don't watch it. You don't need to see the activity. Whatever you come up with in your imagination is probably far scarier than this movie would ever dream to achieve.
However, TGD is easily the worst film in the series, one of the worst films of the year, and a sad, cynical, soulless attempt to salvage whatever is left from this franchise. There's literally nothing memorable here, nothing iconic. It's all so generic and inept, from the constant jump scares, to the forgettable actors, to the 3D, which is used in the most clichéd way possible. The story doesn't make a lick of sense compared to all the buildup in the previous films, most likely due to the noticeable absence of Christopher Landon, who wrote all the sequels up until this point. And why the hell did it take two years for four writers to write the script? Was that really necessary? Overall, there's not much to be said about TGD because there's not much to actually talk about. By the time of writing this review, I've already forgotten about 90% of the movie, and you will too. So don't watch it. You don't need to see the activity. Whatever you come up with in your imagination is probably far scarier than this movie would ever dream to achieve.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" should have stayed there.
dave-mcclain23 October 2015
I've always had a lot of respect for the "Paranormal Activity" movies, if not a whole lot of love. "Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" (R, 1:28) is the sixth installment in the series, which has scared up about $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide, against less than $25 million in production expenses. The original "Paranormal Activity" (2009) was filmed in the house owned by Oren Peli, who was the film's producer, director, writer, cinematographer and editor. Peli made that film for $15,000 and it ended up earning nearly $200 million worldwide – almost 13 THOUSAND times what it cost. This, of course, was the film that started that billion dollar franchise and, co-produced by Jason Blum, helped establish Blumhouse Productions, which eventually brought horror fans the "Insidious", "Sinister" and "The Purge" films, as well as the Best Picture Oscar Nominee "Whiplash" in 2014. Now THAT'S a success story that anyone who has ever tried to make a buck on their own idea or vision has to respect
but what Movie Fans really want to know about a movie is whether it's any good. That's what matters to us.
Personally, I liked all of the "Paranormal Activity" movies but I didn't LOVE them. As they were bringing us creative stories, helping to turn the found-footage subgenre from a novelty into a viable filmmaking option, redefining horror movies for the 21st century and giving audiences thrills, chills and our fills of plot twists, there was a downside to the fun. For one thing, the "Paranormal" movies did what the "Fast & Furious" series did – give us films out of the sequence of the overall narratives of its characters – but even tougher to keep straight. The other problem with the "Paranormal" films has always been a lack of action. Although they've put some scary and interesting moments on the screen, in most of the movies, not a whole lot happens – especially in the first one which seems overly dependent on the single big payoff at the very end of the film. The advertising for "The Ghost Dimension" promises a franchise-capping story that will answer all of the fans' questions and take us where no "Paranormal Activity" has taken us before. The question is whether the sixth installment gives the series the ending fans deserve.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" takes place in 2013, after the events of "Paranormal Activity 2" and reflective of the events in "Paranormal Activity 3", from a present-day perspective. Young married couple Ryan and Emily Fleege (Chris J. Murray and Brit Shaw) move into a house built on the land where the home of Katie and Micah stood in the first film. Ryan and Emily have a little girl named Leila (Ivy George), whom they call Lee, and Emily's sister Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley) lives there too. When Ryan's brother, Mike (Dan Gill), newly separated from his wife, comes to stay for a couple weeks, there are then enough unsuspecting people in the house for the ghosts to begin tormenting.
While setting up Ryan's Christmas decorations, Ryan and Mike come across a mysterious box that Ryan says isn't his. Inside there is a series of VHS video tapes and an old, but uniquely upgraded video camera. The tapes show the young Kristi and Katie, circa 1988, being introduced to Toby (as in the third film) and being taught to make the most of their psychic abilities. That camera has the ability to see and record spectral phenomena. As Ryan and Mike try to figure out what's really happening on those tapes and record increasingly prominent ghost-like apparitions, Lee is observed talking to an invisible "friend" and behaving very oddly. At first, the Fleeges try to solve the mystery and protect the little girl themselves. They eventually call in a priest (Michael Krawic), but it starts to look like it might all be too little, too late.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" is a very disappointing ending to the groundbreaking series. The film suffers from the same malady as all the others – not enough action and not enough dread until the very end. The special effects are good, with paranormal wisps of black smoke looking a lot like those in "Crimson Peak", and the 3-D gives a very nice depth to the shots of that wide-open house and those spectral images and it serves the few brief action scenes pretty well. Unfortunately, contrary to what the movie's advertising would lead us to believe, our peek into the Ghost Dimension is frustratingly fleeting, with even the "Poltergeist" remake doing a better job of showing us "the other side". This movie has a half-way decent climactic scene, but the story's ultimate resolution and the final image on the screen elicited dissatisfied groans from my fellow theater patrons. Although I settled for the more subtle eye roll myself, I felt their pain. Basically, this movie gives us the standard "Paranormal Activity" formula, but without a worthwhile payoff. Much like the ghosts that the films portray, the 2015 installment shows that the "Paranormal Activity" movies have outlived their usefulness and should just fade away. "C-"
Personally, I liked all of the "Paranormal Activity" movies but I didn't LOVE them. As they were bringing us creative stories, helping to turn the found-footage subgenre from a novelty into a viable filmmaking option, redefining horror movies for the 21st century and giving audiences thrills, chills and our fills of plot twists, there was a downside to the fun. For one thing, the "Paranormal" movies did what the "Fast & Furious" series did – give us films out of the sequence of the overall narratives of its characters – but even tougher to keep straight. The other problem with the "Paranormal" films has always been a lack of action. Although they've put some scary and interesting moments on the screen, in most of the movies, not a whole lot happens – especially in the first one which seems overly dependent on the single big payoff at the very end of the film. The advertising for "The Ghost Dimension" promises a franchise-capping story that will answer all of the fans' questions and take us where no "Paranormal Activity" has taken us before. The question is whether the sixth installment gives the series the ending fans deserve.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" takes place in 2013, after the events of "Paranormal Activity 2" and reflective of the events in "Paranormal Activity 3", from a present-day perspective. Young married couple Ryan and Emily Fleege (Chris J. Murray and Brit Shaw) move into a house built on the land where the home of Katie and Micah stood in the first film. Ryan and Emily have a little girl named Leila (Ivy George), whom they call Lee, and Emily's sister Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley) lives there too. When Ryan's brother, Mike (Dan Gill), newly separated from his wife, comes to stay for a couple weeks, there are then enough unsuspecting people in the house for the ghosts to begin tormenting.
While setting up Ryan's Christmas decorations, Ryan and Mike come across a mysterious box that Ryan says isn't his. Inside there is a series of VHS video tapes and an old, but uniquely upgraded video camera. The tapes show the young Kristi and Katie, circa 1988, being introduced to Toby (as in the third film) and being taught to make the most of their psychic abilities. That camera has the ability to see and record spectral phenomena. As Ryan and Mike try to figure out what's really happening on those tapes and record increasingly prominent ghost-like apparitions, Lee is observed talking to an invisible "friend" and behaving very oddly. At first, the Fleeges try to solve the mystery and protect the little girl themselves. They eventually call in a priest (Michael Krawic), but it starts to look like it might all be too little, too late.
"Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension" is a very disappointing ending to the groundbreaking series. The film suffers from the same malady as all the others – not enough action and not enough dread until the very end. The special effects are good, with paranormal wisps of black smoke looking a lot like those in "Crimson Peak", and the 3-D gives a very nice depth to the shots of that wide-open house and those spectral images and it serves the few brief action scenes pretty well. Unfortunately, contrary to what the movie's advertising would lead us to believe, our peek into the Ghost Dimension is frustratingly fleeting, with even the "Poltergeist" remake doing a better job of showing us "the other side". This movie has a half-way decent climactic scene, but the story's ultimate resolution and the final image on the screen elicited dissatisfied groans from my fellow theater patrons. Although I settled for the more subtle eye roll myself, I felt their pain. Basically, this movie gives us the standard "Paranormal Activity" formula, but without a worthwhile payoff. Much like the ghosts that the films portray, the 2015 installment shows that the "Paranormal Activity" movies have outlived their usefulness and should just fade away. "C-"
Most disappointing film of the year
aceofspades9623 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I don't even know if I want to do the review of this film. I feel like my review has more depth than the plot of this film. Good lord, I try to keep these reviews as professional as I can. I even try not to include spoilers, because I want people to go out and see the movie themselves, but good lord in heaven, I mean it quite literally, this film was possibly the biggest let-down all year. You can't spoil something like this, because there's nothing to spoil. I don't feel like the screenwriters took the time to write anything down. They kind of just wrote down brainstorms, and payed the actors to improv them on screen.
As usual with the other films, we seem to carry our cameras around almost obscenely. Nobody, and I mean nobody, carries a camera around for no reason like that. It makes the realism of the movie seem so faked, and unreal. That's something you can yell at the entire series for. What makes the obsessive camera-use even worse, is the fact that they try to address it in this film, but do so....miserably. "Do these people film everything?" Said one of the characters, and then goes on to see his brother film everything.
Good lord the plot was just so poorly written. They created a really good thing for themselves in this film. They started it out very well, except for one problem, they didn't carry it out very well. They for whatever reason, thought that it was a good idea to create wrinkles in the plots of the earlier movies, by showing older tapes of the 1988 events, and then cutting to "ritual sessions" that weren't part of the tape in the first place. They show the two sisters being able to see into the newer house. And then, it just stops. The writers must have forgotten that they put that in there, because they never mention it again. It literally had nothing to do with the plot. All it did was make way for a cheap jump scare. They left a lot of things unexplained, such as where Toby came from, what happened to Christi, where the ghost camera came from, and all sorts of other points. The producers butcher their old plots, with the plot of this movie. The worshipers need the blood of Hunter, and the blood of Leila to make one of the 7 fathers of Hell, real. So goodbye the premise of the first born son, and breeding witches to find the first born sons. It will not be missed.
The producers have to understand that throwing in jump scares, and creepy faces every 10 minutes, do not make for a scary film, and does not create suspense. All jump scares create, is a sense of not wanting to be scared. That is all the film is filled with. It does not make for a good film.
The visual effects were definitely low budget. Just because the "ghost" looks like a blob of oil, doesn't mean that it looks convincing. The movie looks like they added effects in right before it was launched to critics for review. Every special effect in the film was just poorly made, and felt rushed. Especially at the end, where Toby is in real form. First off, they thought that because he is in the night vision lens It was just a man, with bare feet. It was rather sad. They made Toby sound like he was going to be a Beezlebub lamb, with crazy inhuman features. Good lord we were sadly disappointed. That seems to happen a lot in this movie.
The only good part about the movie is that the acting is actually pretty decent. The actors were great for the terrible screen writing they had to deal with. Child acting is hard thing to deal with, and getting used to; it can make giving the sense of realism nearly impossible, but the child actors in this film were pretty decent. They definitely have a bright future ahead of them.
Please, for the love of God, do not go out and lose brain cells because you watched this film. It is literally in no way worth it. The writing was terrible, the effects were terrible, and pretty much everything about his movie was just terrible. Spare yourself.
As usual with the other films, we seem to carry our cameras around almost obscenely. Nobody, and I mean nobody, carries a camera around for no reason like that. It makes the realism of the movie seem so faked, and unreal. That's something you can yell at the entire series for. What makes the obsessive camera-use even worse, is the fact that they try to address it in this film, but do so....miserably. "Do these people film everything?" Said one of the characters, and then goes on to see his brother film everything.
Good lord the plot was just so poorly written. They created a really good thing for themselves in this film. They started it out very well, except for one problem, they didn't carry it out very well. They for whatever reason, thought that it was a good idea to create wrinkles in the plots of the earlier movies, by showing older tapes of the 1988 events, and then cutting to "ritual sessions" that weren't part of the tape in the first place. They show the two sisters being able to see into the newer house. And then, it just stops. The writers must have forgotten that they put that in there, because they never mention it again. It literally had nothing to do with the plot. All it did was make way for a cheap jump scare. They left a lot of things unexplained, such as where Toby came from, what happened to Christi, where the ghost camera came from, and all sorts of other points. The producers butcher their old plots, with the plot of this movie. The worshipers need the blood of Hunter, and the blood of Leila to make one of the 7 fathers of Hell, real. So goodbye the premise of the first born son, and breeding witches to find the first born sons. It will not be missed.
The producers have to understand that throwing in jump scares, and creepy faces every 10 minutes, do not make for a scary film, and does not create suspense. All jump scares create, is a sense of not wanting to be scared. That is all the film is filled with. It does not make for a good film.
The visual effects were definitely low budget. Just because the "ghost" looks like a blob of oil, doesn't mean that it looks convincing. The movie looks like they added effects in right before it was launched to critics for review. Every special effect in the film was just poorly made, and felt rushed. Especially at the end, where Toby is in real form. First off, they thought that because he is in the night vision lens It was just a man, with bare feet. It was rather sad. They made Toby sound like he was going to be a Beezlebub lamb, with crazy inhuman features. Good lord we were sadly disappointed. That seems to happen a lot in this movie.
The only good part about the movie is that the acting is actually pretty decent. The actors were great for the terrible screen writing they had to deal with. Child acting is hard thing to deal with, and getting used to; it can make giving the sense of realism nearly impossible, but the child actors in this film were pretty decent. They definitely have a bright future ahead of them.
Please, for the love of God, do not go out and lose brain cells because you watched this film. It is literally in no way worth it. The writing was terrible, the effects were terrible, and pretty much everything about his movie was just terrible. Spare yourself.
Some pretty harsh reviews out there!
desiree-tehiko9222 October 2015
So, I saw an advanced preview of this film so there wasn't many ratings up. After the preview I looked and it was rating around an average of 5 out of 10.....did I miss something? I loved this movie, not enough to give it a 10, but enough.
I think the main thing to focus on this film is the 3D, if you see it in 2D you have made a terrible terrible mistake. The 3D is amazing!! It actually legitimately makes you jump as the objects hurtle towards you, I flinched. Then the 3D element isn't just carried out with tricks like that, but actually all throughout the movie, as you see specks of the demons black liquid stuff (best way I can describe that) floating around, and it looks like you can reach out and touch it and the camera they use to see the demon (you'll see if you watch the movie) looks good in 3D.
Sure, the actual storyline wasn't the absolute best, and the CGI was slightly less convincing....cause let's face it, when is CGI ever really truly convincing. But the acting was good, a believable family and an amazingly creepy little girl, and it was a genuinely thought out plot, easy to follow, carried on from the other films (so tied up loose ends), a little bit scary, a little bit nail biting. Overall a good horror movie.
Go see it, but....see it in 3D, or you will miss out on the intended experience!
I think the main thing to focus on this film is the 3D, if you see it in 2D you have made a terrible terrible mistake. The 3D is amazing!! It actually legitimately makes you jump as the objects hurtle towards you, I flinched. Then the 3D element isn't just carried out with tricks like that, but actually all throughout the movie, as you see specks of the demons black liquid stuff (best way I can describe that) floating around, and it looks like you can reach out and touch it and the camera they use to see the demon (you'll see if you watch the movie) looks good in 3D.
Sure, the actual storyline wasn't the absolute best, and the CGI was slightly less convincing....cause let's face it, when is CGI ever really truly convincing. But the acting was good, a believable family and an amazingly creepy little girl, and it was a genuinely thought out plot, easy to follow, carried on from the other films (so tied up loose ends), a little bit scary, a little bit nail biting. Overall a good horror movie.
Go see it, but....see it in 3D, or you will miss out on the intended experience!
Waste of time
griffin259525 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Poor acting, poor storyline, stupid ending. At what point does it become completely absurd to keep a huge, heavy 80's vintage video camera in your hand instead of saving your daughter? One particular dumb line of dialogue is when the token hot hippie mystical aunt says she has heard of spirit photography. Just like that, a stupid plot point is explained away. I know they had to tie it into the previous movies, but it was ham-handed at best. It was all about jump scares. Nothing else. The director didn't manage to create a scary atmosphere. Not even suspenseful. I took my 15 year old daughter and her friends to see this, and they laughed out loud at every "scare." Save your money.
Certainly Better Than the Previous Two
Michael_Elliott29 October 2015
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A couple, their friend and one of their brothers are staying in a large house when they discover a video camera. They start to experiment with this camera and soon realize that it's picking up ghostly images that they can't see without. Soon the young daughter is being visited by someone named Tobi and the adults begin seeing frightening images.
I guess I should give a breakdown on my option of the series leading up to this sixth entry, which the producers are saying is the very last one. I found the first film to be truly frightening and I rank it as one of the best horror movies from the past thirty years. The second film was a complete bore while the third one had an interesting and good story but no scares. The fourth and fifth films in the series proved that they had gone to the well one too many times and it was time to put a nail in the coffin. I walked into this sixth film with low expectations and the film started off having me fearing for another bad entry but then it turned out to be much better.
Is this a great film or a good one? Absolutely not but I thought there were some interesting developments with the plot and there were some really effective scenes that make this worth sitting through. Whereas the first film had the majority of its scare scenes work, this one here isn't nearly as lucky because I'd say only fifteen or twenty percent of the scares work but when they do work they're pretty powerful. The budget here was a lot higher, which allowed for some CGI scenes and I thought these effects were the worst of what we get here. There are moments where the camera is slowly moving around and you're expecting something to happen. The director does a very nice job at the build up and pay off.
The most effective scenes have things running or jumping towards the camera. There are some logical issues and there are moments that don't really connect to the events they're trying to tie to in the series but I liked some of the new stuff here. There's a twist involving the two men watching a tape of Katie and Kristi as a kid that works well. There's also a few other nice elements that help this film seem more than just a rehash of the first movie.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION might be the last and at least they go out with something better than the previous two films.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
A couple, their friend and one of their brothers are staying in a large house when they discover a video camera. They start to experiment with this camera and soon realize that it's picking up ghostly images that they can't see without. Soon the young daughter is being visited by someone named Tobi and the adults begin seeing frightening images.
I guess I should give a breakdown on my option of the series leading up to this sixth entry, which the producers are saying is the very last one. I found the first film to be truly frightening and I rank it as one of the best horror movies from the past thirty years. The second film was a complete bore while the third one had an interesting and good story but no scares. The fourth and fifth films in the series proved that they had gone to the well one too many times and it was time to put a nail in the coffin. I walked into this sixth film with low expectations and the film started off having me fearing for another bad entry but then it turned out to be much better.
Is this a great film or a good one? Absolutely not but I thought there were some interesting developments with the plot and there were some really effective scenes that make this worth sitting through. Whereas the first film had the majority of its scare scenes work, this one here isn't nearly as lucky because I'd say only fifteen or twenty percent of the scares work but when they do work they're pretty powerful. The budget here was a lot higher, which allowed for some CGI scenes and I thought these effects were the worst of what we get here. There are moments where the camera is slowly moving around and you're expecting something to happen. The director does a very nice job at the build up and pay off.
The most effective scenes have things running or jumping towards the camera. There are some logical issues and there are moments that don't really connect to the events they're trying to tie to in the series but I liked some of the new stuff here. There's a twist involving the two men watching a tape of Katie and Kristi as a kid that works well. There's also a few other nice elements that help this film seem more than just a rehash of the first movie.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE GHOST DIMENSION might be the last and at least they go out with something better than the previous two films.
A franchise finally crossing over
StevePulaski23 October 2015
"So, let's say Joost and Schulman make the decision to direct the inevitable Paranormal Activity 5 and Paranormal Activity 6. What they should focus on, instead of repetitive, dead-end jump scares, is giving the audience some insight as to what is haunting Katie and her family and how it came to be."
Above is a direct quote from my review of Paranormal Activity 4, which began my streak of lamenting every new Paranormal Activity installment for neglecting the elephant in the room - what was haunting the family and the characters in this series and why? I became frustrated that, with each new installment, the focus was on some sort of technological gimmick or the increased quantity of jump-scares which, in turn, diminished the quality of them, and that there seemed to be no interest in wrapping up the loose-ends and plot-strands that Oren Peli, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman, and numerous other writers/directors of the series had created.
With Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, which is billed to be the franchise's conclusion, I can finally rest easy knowing with most of my questions answered rather than panning a slew of open-ended circumstances. Director Gregory Plotkin and a quartet of screenwriters - Jason Harry Pagan, Andrew Deutschmann, Adam Robitel, and Gavin Heffernan - do their best to give audiences new characters with this final installment and provide a coherent timeline of events for the life of Katie, who we saw haunted in the first three films, in addition to other minor characters liker her sister and even "Paranormal Activity 2"'s baby Hunter.
The Ghost Dimension focuses on the young couple of Ryan (Chris J. Murray) and Emily (Brit Shaw), who live in a lavish home with their young daughter Leila (Ivy George). Also living with them temporarily is Ryan's brother Mike (Dan Gill) and Emily's friend Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley) while they get their own lives together. Shortly after being acquainted with the home, Ryan finds a large box of tapes and a highly customized, one-of-a-kind video-camera and begins seeing strange apparitions when using it throughout the house. Extensive research into the tapes, which belonged to the mother and father of young Katie and Kristi, shows questionable occurrences and what looks to be demonic activity throughout the home. Overtime, Ryan and Mike notice Leila's increasingly strange behavior, from simple anti-social attitudes to believing her imaginary friend Toby, a memorable name for any fan or follower of this franchise, is real.
Every Paranormal Activity convention is on display here: jump-scares, long, somewhat listless documents of the night through the use of many camera setups, smart-ass characters, strange behavior amongst children, the knowledgeable priest showing up in the nick of time. By now, you should know how you feel about these conventions (I always keep an open mind, though after the second film, I've found them to be as grating as most people). About thirty minutes into this installment, I was mentally preparing a more negative review, saying that this series was going to end on a shrug and a head-shake, until the narrative became more concerned with piecing together the childhoods of Katie and Kristi, even tying in the brainless ending of Paranormal Activity 3.
This is where The Ghost Dimension becomes a fiercely watchable film, and upon piecing together the old, it formulates new inclusions by giving us some seriously strong jump-scares in this film. The 3D doesn't add a lot to the experience, but it furthers the surprising notion that home-video footage looks quite good when it's digitally rendered. With all that, this film goes from the same old conventions done in a mediocre manner to making an earnest attempt at concluding the franchise in a way that makes sense and answers most of our burning questions.
The problem, however, is at this point, I don't think people really care. The saturation of these films and the massive amounts of parodies have made this franchise the laughingstock of the horror world, and the significantly decreased theater counts - due to Cinemark and Regal Cinemas refusing to show the film because of Paramount's plan to digitally distribute the film once it falls below three-hundred theaters (the same will be done with Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse next weekend) - people have moved on, much like they did with the Saw series, which also found itself concluding pretty abruptly. The Ghost Dimension is arguably the best conclusion to this wheezy franchise we could've asked for, and I found myself being in a state I haven't been in with these films since 2010 - satisfied and content.
Starring: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, Dan Gill, and Olivia Taylor Dudley. Directed by: Gregory Plotkin.
Above is a direct quote from my review of Paranormal Activity 4, which began my streak of lamenting every new Paranormal Activity installment for neglecting the elephant in the room - what was haunting the family and the characters in this series and why? I became frustrated that, with each new installment, the focus was on some sort of technological gimmick or the increased quantity of jump-scares which, in turn, diminished the quality of them, and that there seemed to be no interest in wrapping up the loose-ends and plot-strands that Oren Peli, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman, and numerous other writers/directors of the series had created.
With Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, which is billed to be the franchise's conclusion, I can finally rest easy knowing with most of my questions answered rather than panning a slew of open-ended circumstances. Director Gregory Plotkin and a quartet of screenwriters - Jason Harry Pagan, Andrew Deutschmann, Adam Robitel, and Gavin Heffernan - do their best to give audiences new characters with this final installment and provide a coherent timeline of events for the life of Katie, who we saw haunted in the first three films, in addition to other minor characters liker her sister and even "Paranormal Activity 2"'s baby Hunter.
The Ghost Dimension focuses on the young couple of Ryan (Chris J. Murray) and Emily (Brit Shaw), who live in a lavish home with their young daughter Leila (Ivy George). Also living with them temporarily is Ryan's brother Mike (Dan Gill) and Emily's friend Skyler (Olivia Taylor Dudley) while they get their own lives together. Shortly after being acquainted with the home, Ryan finds a large box of tapes and a highly customized, one-of-a-kind video-camera and begins seeing strange apparitions when using it throughout the house. Extensive research into the tapes, which belonged to the mother and father of young Katie and Kristi, shows questionable occurrences and what looks to be demonic activity throughout the home. Overtime, Ryan and Mike notice Leila's increasingly strange behavior, from simple anti-social attitudes to believing her imaginary friend Toby, a memorable name for any fan or follower of this franchise, is real.
Every Paranormal Activity convention is on display here: jump-scares, long, somewhat listless documents of the night through the use of many camera setups, smart-ass characters, strange behavior amongst children, the knowledgeable priest showing up in the nick of time. By now, you should know how you feel about these conventions (I always keep an open mind, though after the second film, I've found them to be as grating as most people). About thirty minutes into this installment, I was mentally preparing a more negative review, saying that this series was going to end on a shrug and a head-shake, until the narrative became more concerned with piecing together the childhoods of Katie and Kristi, even tying in the brainless ending of Paranormal Activity 3.
This is where The Ghost Dimension becomes a fiercely watchable film, and upon piecing together the old, it formulates new inclusions by giving us some seriously strong jump-scares in this film. The 3D doesn't add a lot to the experience, but it furthers the surprising notion that home-video footage looks quite good when it's digitally rendered. With all that, this film goes from the same old conventions done in a mediocre manner to making an earnest attempt at concluding the franchise in a way that makes sense and answers most of our burning questions.
The problem, however, is at this point, I don't think people really care. The saturation of these films and the massive amounts of parodies have made this franchise the laughingstock of the horror world, and the significantly decreased theater counts - due to Cinemark and Regal Cinemas refusing to show the film because of Paramount's plan to digitally distribute the film once it falls below three-hundred theaters (the same will be done with Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse next weekend) - people have moved on, much like they did with the Saw series, which also found itself concluding pretty abruptly. The Ghost Dimension is arguably the best conclusion to this wheezy franchise we could've asked for, and I found myself being in a state I haven't been in with these films since 2010 - satisfied and content.
Starring: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, Dan Gill, and Olivia Taylor Dudley. Directed by: Gregory Plotkin.
Zero love put into this franchise anymore
siradofsteel4 May 2023
The weak performances, over-reliance on CGI, and lack of tension all make Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension an unsatisfying and unenjoyable movie experience. The poor screenwriting is evident throughout the movie, with examples such as the lazy narrative convenience of having a character "follow them out of the house". Its failure to deliver any real scares or tension makes it an ultimately disappointing experience. There are virtually no scary moments and the tension is non-existent, making it hard to stay engaged throughout the runtime. It's a shame, as the premise of the film had a lot of potential. Sadly, it just doesn't deliver.
I don't understand the harsh reviews.
marcellhernandes4 August 2018
Really. What do people want? The story is loyal to the main story and it's following its path. And it's quite interesting in my opinion. I'm wanting to know what will happen after this one. I hope they make a new one. This movie is more of the same. Means it's good. You can trust me. If you haven't watched it don't give attention to those bad reviews. This is a good movie. What it didn't explain everything? It's not supposed to. We want more sequences. Still it explains a lot. People are not really patient. Reviews are so bad that I went to Netflix to watch it before I could buy it. Now I don't have a doubt. I'll get it to my collection. And I hope they keep up the good work.
The Paranormal Activity Series:Part 6- The Ghost Dimension (2D Version.)
morrison-dylan-fan12 October 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Getting lucky in picking up the first Paranormal Activity (PA) flick for £2 at a local DVD shop and finding parts 2-5 on Netflix UK,I was disappointed to find that the final PA was not on Netflix. Keeping a look at the price over the last few weeks,I was pleased to recently see the DVD drop to under £5,which led to me experiencing the paranormal for the final time.
View on the film:
Unleashing "Toby" from the shadows,director (and editor of PA 2-5) Gregory Plotkin & cinematographer John W. Rutland go for a full-on Haunted House Horror,where "black oil" smooth CGI crawls up the wall as Toby takes control of his house.
Retaining the "Found Footage" presentation of the franchise, Plotkin brilliantly brings all the elements of each individual part into one "greatest hits" package, seamlessly leaping from chillingly stilted hand held camera moves, grainy,lo-fi Video and well-executed, creepy CGI layering Toby's world over the real world.
For the final recording of the series,the screenplay by Adam Black/Andrew Deutschman/Adam Robitel & Gavin Heffernan cleverly use dusty Videos to wrap everything up via the Videos going into the background of the past movies,whilst casting an eerie atmosphere,by giving the Fleege's horrors an impending sense of doom.
Along with unlocking the paranormal of the past movies,the writers make the film itself be a tense Haunted House chiller,with the Fleege's being given (some) intelligence in finding ways to escape the house,and Toby's attacks gradually building from the subtle shaking in the corner to an unrelenting howl,as Toby releases the full paranormal activity.
View on the film:
Unleashing "Toby" from the shadows,director (and editor of PA 2-5) Gregory Plotkin & cinematographer John W. Rutland go for a full-on Haunted House Horror,where "black oil" smooth CGI crawls up the wall as Toby takes control of his house.
Retaining the "Found Footage" presentation of the franchise, Plotkin brilliantly brings all the elements of each individual part into one "greatest hits" package, seamlessly leaping from chillingly stilted hand held camera moves, grainy,lo-fi Video and well-executed, creepy CGI layering Toby's world over the real world.
For the final recording of the series,the screenplay by Adam Black/Andrew Deutschman/Adam Robitel & Gavin Heffernan cleverly use dusty Videos to wrap everything up via the Videos going into the background of the past movies,whilst casting an eerie atmosphere,by giving the Fleege's horrors an impending sense of doom.
Along with unlocking the paranormal of the past movies,the writers make the film itself be a tense Haunted House chiller,with the Fleege's being given (some) intelligence in finding ways to escape the house,and Toby's attacks gradually building from the subtle shaking in the corner to an unrelenting howl,as Toby releases the full paranormal activity.
Absolutely no understanding of what made the original great
jtindahouse1 November 2015
When you look back on old horror series like 'Friday the 13th' or 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and you see 'Part 8: Jason Takes Manhatten' or 'Part 5: The Dream Child' you can't help but shudder at just how ridiculous the sound of that sequel is. Sadly I fear when people look back on the 'Paranormal Activity' series 'The Ghost Dimension' is going to sound equally ridiculous and appear the same for anyone who bothers to watch it. The film isn't good and does a real disservice to an otherwise great series. A huge disappointment.
The filmmakers on this one seemed to have absolutely no understanding of what made the first four (or five including 'The Marked Ones') so effective. It was the fact that even for those of us that don't for the faintest second believe in ghosts or demons, it's still scary because everything was so simple. A person standing over their partner at night simply staring at them for hours on end is much more frightening of an image than actually seeing a completely unrealistic monster-like creature jump out of nowhere. This film did not belong in the series and if it is indeed the last 'Paranormal Activity' film to be made, it was a sad way to end things.
The filmmakers on this one seemed to have absolutely no understanding of what made the first four (or five including 'The Marked Ones') so effective. It was the fact that even for those of us that don't for the faintest second believe in ghosts or demons, it's still scary because everything was so simple. A person standing over their partner at night simply staring at them for hours on end is much more frightening of an image than actually seeing a completely unrealistic monster-like creature jump out of nowhere. This film did not belong in the series and if it is indeed the last 'Paranormal Activity' film to be made, it was a sad way to end things.
Disappointing finale that leaves more questions than it answers
BloodGuts28 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Released in 2007, PA bought a welcome return to scary horror infecting cinemas with a fear that the multiplexes hadn't seen for a while. Building its fanbase on rumours it had terrified Steven Spielberg, and made on a small budget, the film was a success and over the coming years has become somewhat of a Halloween tradition. Over the years there's no denying that the series has taken a downward spiral only revitalising itself with 2013's spin off movie 'The Marked Ones' changing the format to a more comedy led lead but still retaining the same framework and storyline progressed through previous instalments. 5 sequels later and as Jason Blum (Producer of the series) has confirmed, this will be the last chapter in the series and will bring all of the answers to the questions the series has so far bought to its audience.
This time, a new family, the Fleeges, enter a home sold by PA original star Katie and events turn to the predictable as they come across a box of tapes and a strange camera featuring two girls, Katie and Kristi, in their childhood. It soon becomes apparent that the events unfolding on film have further connections with the new family and history begins to repeat itself as their daughter Leila (Ivy George) becomes friends with the infamous Toby.
While this is the finale to a franchise that has mixed opinion, there is so much to explore with the breadcrumbs left behind. The coven of witches in 3, the portals in "The Marked Ones", the ongoing saga with Katie, what does it all mean? Well, one thing is for sure, there are no answers here. In fact, the film leaves with even more questions:
The feeling is that the guys behind the series had an idea and rather than spend the time and invest in a long term story, felt they had to wrap it up in a finale that is as bland as white sheet for a Halloween costume. The series could have benefited from further spin offs to create a bigger scale as now "The Marked Ones" feels more like a standalone film than part of the bigger picture.
What should have been closure to the franchise, ends as an unsatisfying blend of repetitive bangs and a mad dash attempt to create a cash-in to the 3D that is limited to 2 scenes. Throughout the film are a number of jump moments that focus more on waking you up than actually delivering a scare.
Toby's appearance is a disappointment to say this is a demon but merely masks the appearance of Baghuul from the Sinister series with a more human like posture than the horned faced demon the film leans towards.
Where the original entry and even some of the other films, there are standalone moments that are memorable but here lies a repetition of the worst moments of the franchise, taking away any plot that was promised in favour of a new gimmick (3D) that is well underused. Previous movies have kept Toby in the background and have decided that now is the time to let the world see this menace but what unfolds is merely disappointing. Gone is te suspense of what is/isn't there and instead the venom-like creature (fans of Spiderman would understand this reference) adds little in terms of fear. While some of the 3D moments wherein the fragments of the supernatural look impressive but never really add anything to the experience. The forceful demon that was seen dragging Katie in chapter one is missing here, and if Katie is now possessed, how can the demon himself appear if he's inside Katie?
Unlike previous instalments where the films unravelling occurs over a number of weeks, here the hauntings are all delivered by the 10th consecutive day and pretty much sums up the rushed and heartless film that is Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. The longer you think about the film the more disappointing it becomes. It's a huge let down for what could have been a solid conclusion to a mixed bag of films, instead doing more of the same and stitching a half thought out plot to close the series. You'd even question if the makers had even watched any of the previous instalments, as many will not be tuning into this one.
> Martyn Wakefield is a writer and editor for BloodGuts UK Horror and has contributed over 250 reviews on the horror genre
This time, a new family, the Fleeges, enter a home sold by PA original star Katie and events turn to the predictable as they come across a box of tapes and a strange camera featuring two girls, Katie and Kristi, in their childhood. It soon becomes apparent that the events unfolding on film have further connections with the new family and history begins to repeat itself as their daughter Leila (Ivy George) becomes friends with the infamous Toby.
While this is the finale to a franchise that has mixed opinion, there is so much to explore with the breadcrumbs left behind. The coven of witches in 3, the portals in "The Marked Ones", the ongoing saga with Katie, what does it all mean? Well, one thing is for sure, there are no answers here. In fact, the film leaves with even more questions:
- Where did the camera come from? Why did the coven want to summon Toby?
- Why is the demon called Toby and seeking human form?
- Why does the demon only need the blood of Hunter and Leila born on the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year?
- What ever happened to Katie?
- What is her exact role in all of this?
- What is the cause of the portals/dimensions and why do we not see more of this?
- What IS the "ghost dimension"?
- What does it all mean?
- Can I have an aspirin?
The feeling is that the guys behind the series had an idea and rather than spend the time and invest in a long term story, felt they had to wrap it up in a finale that is as bland as white sheet for a Halloween costume. The series could have benefited from further spin offs to create a bigger scale as now "The Marked Ones" feels more like a standalone film than part of the bigger picture.
What should have been closure to the franchise, ends as an unsatisfying blend of repetitive bangs and a mad dash attempt to create a cash-in to the 3D that is limited to 2 scenes. Throughout the film are a number of jump moments that focus more on waking you up than actually delivering a scare.
Toby's appearance is a disappointment to say this is a demon but merely masks the appearance of Baghuul from the Sinister series with a more human like posture than the horned faced demon the film leans towards.
Where the original entry and even some of the other films, there are standalone moments that are memorable but here lies a repetition of the worst moments of the franchise, taking away any plot that was promised in favour of a new gimmick (3D) that is well underused. Previous movies have kept Toby in the background and have decided that now is the time to let the world see this menace but what unfolds is merely disappointing. Gone is te suspense of what is/isn't there and instead the venom-like creature (fans of Spiderman would understand this reference) adds little in terms of fear. While some of the 3D moments wherein the fragments of the supernatural look impressive but never really add anything to the experience. The forceful demon that was seen dragging Katie in chapter one is missing here, and if Katie is now possessed, how can the demon himself appear if he's inside Katie?
Unlike previous instalments where the films unravelling occurs over a number of weeks, here the hauntings are all delivered by the 10th consecutive day and pretty much sums up the rushed and heartless film that is Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension. The longer you think about the film the more disappointing it becomes. It's a huge let down for what could have been a solid conclusion to a mixed bag of films, instead doing more of the same and stitching a half thought out plot to close the series. You'd even question if the makers had even watched any of the previous instalments, as many will not be tuning into this one.
> Martyn Wakefield is a writer and editor for BloodGuts UK Horror and has contributed over 250 reviews on the horror genre
Last One In Franchise! Thank Goodness!
stevendbeard23 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "Paranormal Activity:The Ghost Dimension" starring Chris J. Murray-Bad Roomies, Failing Better Now; Brit Shaw-Nashville_tv, The Best Sex; Ivy George-in her first movie; Olivia Taylor Dudley-The Vatican Tapes, Chernobyl Diaries and Dan Gill-The Wedding Ringer, Bad Sports_tv.
This is the 5th and last, at least according to the producers, in the found footage horror franchise. Thank goodness! I mean, I like good horror movies but this is not one of them. This cheapy just uses loud noises for shock value. Or, people will hear strange noises and decide to go investigate them instead of getting the heck out of the house, and this is after they have already seen evidence of an evil presence messing with them. Meanwhile, back to the plot; Chris & Brit with their little girl, Ivy, move into Katie Featherstone's old house and No, Katie does not make an appearance in this one. The young version of Katie is shown in video tapes that are conveniently found in their new house along with a video camera that has a hidden feature on it, it can see spirits and in this case, it is Toby, the evil spirit from the earlier movies. FYI: this is the first time that they actually show what Toby looks like and I must say, it's not bad, just the rest of the movie is. Olivia and Dan come for a visit-I guess they needed more people for the spirit to mess with-and still, no one thinks about just getting up and leaving the house. It's rated "R" for language, violence and scary images and has a running time of 1 hour & 28 minutes. I would not buy this one on DVD. I would not rent it, either. If, for some ungodly reason, you wish to see it, I would wait until it reaches cable TV.
This is the 5th and last, at least according to the producers, in the found footage horror franchise. Thank goodness! I mean, I like good horror movies but this is not one of them. This cheapy just uses loud noises for shock value. Or, people will hear strange noises and decide to go investigate them instead of getting the heck out of the house, and this is after they have already seen evidence of an evil presence messing with them. Meanwhile, back to the plot; Chris & Brit with their little girl, Ivy, move into Katie Featherstone's old house and No, Katie does not make an appearance in this one. The young version of Katie is shown in video tapes that are conveniently found in their new house along with a video camera that has a hidden feature on it, it can see spirits and in this case, it is Toby, the evil spirit from the earlier movies. FYI: this is the first time that they actually show what Toby looks like and I must say, it's not bad, just the rest of the movie is. Olivia and Dan come for a visit-I guess they needed more people for the spirit to mess with-and still, no one thinks about just getting up and leaving the house. It's rated "R" for language, violence and scary images and has a running time of 1 hour & 28 minutes. I would not buy this one on DVD. I would not rent it, either. If, for some ungodly reason, you wish to see it, I would wait until it reaches cable TV.
A new twist on an otherwise burning out franchise.
defaultblues22 October 2015
The Paranormal Activity franchise has definitely been one to follow. The story follows a demon, under the guise of 'Toby' who has been steadily haunting a family and racking up quite a body count. This entry, which promises to be the final one, seems a little distant from the rest of the series. The family move into a house where they find a video camera able to pick up spirit activity and a collection of VHS tapes documenting Katie and Kristi after the events of PA3. The spirit camera is the USP of the film, as they delve into 3D filming ectoplasm and eventually showing 'Toby' as he starts haunting the families daughter. As you can expect, they do start to milk the 3D element too much towards the end of the film, especially in the climax, and quite a lot of the 'activity' scenes seem to play to the audience more than the characters. However, being able to see the demons movements definitely add to the building of tension, and is a much stronger installment than PA4 and 'the marked ones'. The main problem lies within the need for another, final installment, to finally tie up all the loose ends.
VIEWS ON FILM review of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
burlesonjesse55 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The Paranormal Activity franchise has now churned out six movies. The latest issue is called Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (my most current review). Right after seeing "Dimension", I decided to look up its wiki page. In said page, it stated that this October release is supposed to be the final chapter. Uh huh. I'm sure the producers will figure out a way to make another one. After all, these flicks come with a micro budget and make a ton of money. The formula is always the same: 1. have unknown actors/actresses headline while forcing them to act like complete tools. 2. include characters that are rich or well off (with nice houses) and let their families get terrorized by evil spirits. 3. have said characters run around while filming everything even though their lives are in total danger. 4. have children involved and feature them seeing or hearing things that no one else does. 5. include no background music. 6. finally, try to tie in the current "Activity" installment with other installments by way of various clues left behind.
Anyway, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension with its rookie director and ameliorated special effects, contains these factoids plus a few minor differences. It cost more to make than any of the other follow-ups, it negates a hook in which you see actual ghosts this time around (hence the title), it takes place during the silly season (Christmas to be exact), and lastly, it doesn't feature Katie Featherston in a cameo (oh well). So am I recommending it? Not exactly. There's a few creepy moments, a couple of jolting scares, and one hot mama (Olivia Taylor Dudley as houseguest vixen, Skyler). Unfortunately, "Dimension" just feels reused from all the other sequels that came before it (same text on the screen, different director, same producer). Oh and if this is the way the filmmakers are gonna wrap things up, they should've avoided almost copying the endings via Paranormal Activity's 2, 3, and 4. Talk about a weak denouement.
Now out of all five of the previous Paranormal Activity flicks, "Dimension" randomly decides to filter its story in through the third vehicle (sisters Katie and Kristi circa 1988) and the second vehicle (the young child Hunter is mentioned and is shown on a home video). The proceedings take place in Santa Rosa, CA with plenty of obligatory, found footage to boot (sometimes it's hard to tell what's being documented here and what's just plain old Panavision). Then there's the narrative which gives us the Fleege family. They consist of Ryan Fleege (Chris J. Murray), Emily Fleege (Brit Shaw), and Leila Fleege (Ivy George). They move into a new house not knowing that it was built over a previous one that burnt down. While unpacking in their new abode, Ryan notices a video camera left behind from the past owners. There are also plenty of VHS tapes laying around. These tapes contain a sinister and supernatural plan put into motion over twenty years ago. And whenever anyone attempts to film anything or any person, ghostly images appear on the old video camera's lens. Happy holidays everybody!
In retrospect, I have only heralded the first two Paranormal Activity films as being anywhere near advantageous. The inaugural one I felt, effectively piggybacked The Blair Witch Project. The third one although not great, had some solid roving (and panning), camera techniques which upped the flinching, fear factor. Bottom line: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension isn't awful, it's just ho-hum. You could rank it evenly with 3, 4, and 5 (whose actual title is "The Marked Ones"). Call it a cash grab. Call it horror deja vu. My rating: 2 and a half stars.
Of note: "Dimension" takes place in 2013. That's right 2013. There's a scene where Brit Shaw's Emily looks up a phone number for a priest to exorcise her house. She does this by festering through the yellow pages. Huh? I thought people nowadays used stuff like computers or smartphones to get information (that's how you find that search engine called Google, right). This is an interesting oversight if I do say so myself.
Anyway, Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension with its rookie director and ameliorated special effects, contains these factoids plus a few minor differences. It cost more to make than any of the other follow-ups, it negates a hook in which you see actual ghosts this time around (hence the title), it takes place during the silly season (Christmas to be exact), and lastly, it doesn't feature Katie Featherston in a cameo (oh well). So am I recommending it? Not exactly. There's a few creepy moments, a couple of jolting scares, and one hot mama (Olivia Taylor Dudley as houseguest vixen, Skyler). Unfortunately, "Dimension" just feels reused from all the other sequels that came before it (same text on the screen, different director, same producer). Oh and if this is the way the filmmakers are gonna wrap things up, they should've avoided almost copying the endings via Paranormal Activity's 2, 3, and 4. Talk about a weak denouement.
Now out of all five of the previous Paranormal Activity flicks, "Dimension" randomly decides to filter its story in through the third vehicle (sisters Katie and Kristi circa 1988) and the second vehicle (the young child Hunter is mentioned and is shown on a home video). The proceedings take place in Santa Rosa, CA with plenty of obligatory, found footage to boot (sometimes it's hard to tell what's being documented here and what's just plain old Panavision). Then there's the narrative which gives us the Fleege family. They consist of Ryan Fleege (Chris J. Murray), Emily Fleege (Brit Shaw), and Leila Fleege (Ivy George). They move into a new house not knowing that it was built over a previous one that burnt down. While unpacking in their new abode, Ryan notices a video camera left behind from the past owners. There are also plenty of VHS tapes laying around. These tapes contain a sinister and supernatural plan put into motion over twenty years ago. And whenever anyone attempts to film anything or any person, ghostly images appear on the old video camera's lens. Happy holidays everybody!
In retrospect, I have only heralded the first two Paranormal Activity films as being anywhere near advantageous. The inaugural one I felt, effectively piggybacked The Blair Witch Project. The third one although not great, had some solid roving (and panning), camera techniques which upped the flinching, fear factor. Bottom line: Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension isn't awful, it's just ho-hum. You could rank it evenly with 3, 4, and 5 (whose actual title is "The Marked Ones"). Call it a cash grab. Call it horror deja vu. My rating: 2 and a half stars.
Of note: "Dimension" takes place in 2013. That's right 2013. There's a scene where Brit Shaw's Emily looks up a phone number for a priest to exorcise her house. She does this by festering through the yellow pages. Huh? I thought people nowadays used stuff like computers or smartphones to get information (that's how you find that search engine called Google, right). This is an interesting oversight if I do say so myself.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, the franchises 6th installment, does it's best to clarify the confusion of the previous 5 films but fails
gmonaayy30 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This film, to put it very bluntly, was one of the worst horror films I have seen in recent years. The trailer for this film had me believing that The Paranormal Activity series may have come up with a new, truly scary, idea. The promise of, "like something you've never seen," which flashes across the screen during the trailer convinced me that the film would have a new concept that finally revealed just how terrifying the Activities would have been if you could see them happening right in front of you. However, this film does exactly the opposite. It's literally the same idea that was introduced in previous Paranormal Activity films with the added exception of now you get to SEE the activity take place.
Hmmmm that huge black figure hovering over my daughter is quite peculiar. I know i'll set up some more cameras, instead of getting my daughter the hell out of that room, so I can be reassured that she is truly getting staulked by a demon. The actors in this film are so incredibly unconvincing it pains me to watch. You know you picked the wrong people for the job when you walk out of the theatre and think the best performance was done by a 7 year old child. When the priest, who apparently knew nothing about exorcisms, learns overnight how to remove demons from a household he claims he knows what do. It was laughble. I kept waiting for him to hit a boom box that immediately started playing the Ghostbusters theme song. In all honesty, Bill Murray flying through the door with his proton pack, sucking up all the demons in the house, would have proved to been a better ending than what preceded. The Director's attempt to incorporate ideas from other horror films such as the Insidious series which introduced a sort of Ghost Dimension called the further, if you've seen this you know what I'm talking about, was a complete fail. The Ghost Dimensions scare factor was destroyed by a poor story line and sub-par actors and actresses. The jump scenes were so unoriginal they failed to even draw a wince out of a majority of the theatre. A movie that lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes provided the worst display of rising action I had ever scene. I sat there for an hour and 15 minutes anxiously waiting for a climax to the story, and when it did it was a huge let down. The Director apparently forgot that he need an ending to his uneventful story. "O shoot you know what I forgot to write an ending because I was to busy trying to scare people with my incredible jump scenes. Better just kill everyone off." The ending is so brief and SOOOO damn unoriginal I was tempted to start my rant right in the theatre. A lot of horror films are utter failures but something about this one forced me to write a poor review on it. The fact that these films still draw viewers, including myself, is beyond me. The Ghost Dimension places the cherry on top the mound of doodoo left behind by the previous 5 films. They've squeezed every last drop out of the franchise and in my opinion this film should be, and hopefully will be, the last installment for this franchise.
Hmmmm that huge black figure hovering over my daughter is quite peculiar. I know i'll set up some more cameras, instead of getting my daughter the hell out of that room, so I can be reassured that she is truly getting staulked by a demon. The actors in this film are so incredibly unconvincing it pains me to watch. You know you picked the wrong people for the job when you walk out of the theatre and think the best performance was done by a 7 year old child. When the priest, who apparently knew nothing about exorcisms, learns overnight how to remove demons from a household he claims he knows what do. It was laughble. I kept waiting for him to hit a boom box that immediately started playing the Ghostbusters theme song. In all honesty, Bill Murray flying through the door with his proton pack, sucking up all the demons in the house, would have proved to been a better ending than what preceded. The Director's attempt to incorporate ideas from other horror films such as the Insidious series which introduced a sort of Ghost Dimension called the further, if you've seen this you know what I'm talking about, was a complete fail. The Ghost Dimensions scare factor was destroyed by a poor story line and sub-par actors and actresses. The jump scenes were so unoriginal they failed to even draw a wince out of a majority of the theatre. A movie that lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes provided the worst display of rising action I had ever scene. I sat there for an hour and 15 minutes anxiously waiting for a climax to the story, and when it did it was a huge let down. The Director apparently forgot that he need an ending to his uneventful story. "O shoot you know what I forgot to write an ending because I was to busy trying to scare people with my incredible jump scenes. Better just kill everyone off." The ending is so brief and SOOOO damn unoriginal I was tempted to start my rant right in the theatre. A lot of horror films are utter failures but something about this one forced me to write a poor review on it. The fact that these films still draw viewers, including myself, is beyond me. The Ghost Dimension places the cherry on top the mound of doodoo left behind by the previous 5 films. They've squeezed every last drop out of the franchise and in my opinion this film should be, and hopefully will be, the last installment for this franchise.
One for the completists
neil-47623 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ryan and Emily movie into a new house with daughter Leila. Ryan's annoying brother Mike turns up and behaves annoyingly. Ryan finds a huge old videocamera and a bunch of mysterious tapes which feature Katie and Kristi from the earlier films: they seem to be observing the present day from the past. Mysterious phenomena start happening, including manifestations and Leila making friends with invisible Toby. Things move towards a climax...
This is reportedly the final Paranormal Activity movie. It was said that it would provide answers. Well, I suppose it does, after a fashion, but there are still a lot left unanswered as it reaches a fairly unsatisfying conclusion. It's the sort of conclusion which seems to be set up for a sequel...
The little girl is great, and it is pleasing to finally see some manifestations. Conversely, this movie doesn't have anything like the creeping dread of some of the earlier entries. There is, as usual, plenty of creeping and walking and running around a darkened house, and not erasing the doorway of drawn symbols, and swearing, but often very little justification for camera use. Having said that, the use of 3D – as a kind of accidental camera fault/manifestation when something supernatural is going on – is one of the most creative, if somewhat limited, uses of 3D since the current spate of 3D movies started.
This is reportedly the final Paranormal Activity movie. It was said that it would provide answers. Well, I suppose it does, after a fashion, but there are still a lot left unanswered as it reaches a fairly unsatisfying conclusion. It's the sort of conclusion which seems to be set up for a sequel...
The little girl is great, and it is pleasing to finally see some manifestations. Conversely, this movie doesn't have anything like the creeping dread of some of the earlier entries. There is, as usual, plenty of creeping and walking and running around a darkened house, and not erasing the doorway of drawn symbols, and swearing, but often very little justification for camera use. Having said that, the use of 3D – as a kind of accidental camera fault/manifestation when something supernatural is going on – is one of the most creative, if somewhat limited, uses of 3D since the current spate of 3D movies started.
**SPOILERS** Thrills aplenty but the whereabouts of all the promised answers remains unknown
samjd3322 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this last night and I was hugely disappointed because the writers have gone on and on and on about it being this big finale that would answer all the questions - it failed massively to fulfill those claims. I expected an ending that would be slightly open for a revival but the actual ending was wide open and left me with more questions than I had before I saw the movie! I didn't mind "seeing the activity" - that, for me, wasn't the biggest gripe I had...that being said, I felt that their efforts were weak when showing Toby and they seemed to spend so much time messing about with the camera instead of getting on with some good storytelling. The whole prophecy reveal was pretty weak (I think the whole Toby needing a human body was pretty weak and somewhat predictable, and the whole Hunter/Leila shared birthday idea felt lazy), no adult Katie and I'm still none the wiser as to what the "ghost dimension" actually is! One thing that always intrigued me during the previous movies was what Toby was saying to Katie and Kristi to make them giggle and become friends with him...I honestly thought this type of dialogue would be included because of the special camera and that Leila communicates with Toby but we didn't even get that which was a disappointment. I liked the whole thrill-ride aspect towards the end but the story was really lacking and, I think, the writers did not deliver on their promises.
Just focus
Craig-Ashley7 November 2015
I don't know what's worse: trawling through reviews by self- appointed internet 'reviewers' using a free resource or sitting in the theatre with bored cinema-goers next to you who paid to see a basic 'scary' film and manage to shuffle, walk in and out or - amazingly - talk on their smartphones during the film. And there's a connection here.
The people who made this film were patently under pressure by unseen forces (another irony!)... to get in a lot of cheap shocks for the typical 'Saturday night' crowd who wouldn't really appreciate lots of quiet scenes of an empty house interior.
So there's masses of what could have been a great, eerie film compromised by loud noises/jolts and CGI probably outsourced on the cheap (judging by the credits).
Meaning that there's a good film here partially buried which picks up on PA3 in no small way and which has some really chilling connotations. No giving which ones away. It's down to the real fans to decide and mull over.
But then that would fall into the category of 'being respectful of the art' and that's certainly something that has NO interest for the cheap keyboard experts abounding. The same breed who I would argue have compromised the film.
The people who made this film were patently under pressure by unseen forces (another irony!)... to get in a lot of cheap shocks for the typical 'Saturday night' crowd who wouldn't really appreciate lots of quiet scenes of an empty house interior.
So there's masses of what could have been a great, eerie film compromised by loud noises/jolts and CGI probably outsourced on the cheap (judging by the credits).
Meaning that there's a good film here partially buried which picks up on PA3 in no small way and which has some really chilling connotations. No giving which ones away. It's down to the real fans to decide and mull over.
But then that would fall into the category of 'being respectful of the art' and that's certainly something that has NO interest for the cheap keyboard experts abounding. The same breed who I would argue have compromised the film.
One of the Scariest
oskar-mellblom9825 October 2015
Watch the movie in 3D or else your missing out on the movie.
The positive - There was a excellent use of 3D in this movie. A lot of scenes and jump scares where great in 3D. The acting was good and believable. They built up the scare fast and successful every time. They explained some actions and scenes from the other movies. If you'r not used to watching horror movies then I can promise you will get scared by this one. I think this paranormal was one of the best in the series.
The negative - I thought there was too many jump scares and almost never daytime. There was not really a great story in this one like the first three movies but definitely better then the Marked Ones and PA4. The movie went by fast so it felt like 1 hour, I would like some more scenes from the days and not only night all the the time.
If you are a fan of the Paranormal series or the horror genre I definitely think you should watch it.
The positive - There was a excellent use of 3D in this movie. A lot of scenes and jump scares where great in 3D. The acting was good and believable. They built up the scare fast and successful every time. They explained some actions and scenes from the other movies. If you'r not used to watching horror movies then I can promise you will get scared by this one. I think this paranormal was one of the best in the series.
The negative - I thought there was too many jump scares and almost never daytime. There was not really a great story in this one like the first three movies but definitely better then the Marked Ones and PA4. The movie went by fast so it felt like 1 hour, I would like some more scenes from the days and not only night all the the time.
If you are a fan of the Paranormal series or the horror genre I definitely think you should watch it.
I've seen episodes of Dark Shadows scarier than this.
drstockk-6228116 October 2022
Here is a rhetorical question for you. Why is it that directors and producers feel the need to ruin movies with horrendous CGI. Some of the best movies ever produced didn't have to rely on CGI. Examples like Psycho or Frankenstein were psychologically frightening.
I mean, I dont want to sell this movie short. It's not just the lack of creativity that made this terrible. The anti-uniqueness wasv compounded by terrible scripts, no direction, and cringe-worthy acting worse.
It's pretty bad when you are so divested that you could care less if any character meets a torturous demise.
This sloppy mess isn't even a derailment. It's a full-fledged train wreck. Terrible design, terribler plot, and terriblest acting.
Will someone do us all a favor and put this series to rest.
I mean, I dont want to sell this movie short. It's not just the lack of creativity that made this terrible. The anti-uniqueness wasv compounded by terrible scripts, no direction, and cringe-worthy acting worse.
It's pretty bad when you are so divested that you could care less if any character meets a torturous demise.
This sloppy mess isn't even a derailment. It's a full-fledged train wreck. Terrible design, terribler plot, and terriblest acting.
Will someone do us all a favor and put this series to rest.
CGI 3D demon-mass, burries the franchise!
and_mikkelsen22 April 2023
Oh yeah... this movie was not great! It was probably closer to being the absolut worst! In that case i am gonna be honest and sau the only good Paranormal activity movie, is the first one! 2 and 3 are watchable and the rest are either insulting or embarrising, including this one!
The story and plot is nonsens and boring as it tries to connect this movie with the third! Characters move into the house, watches a tape from the third movie and then portal opens.. ot something! Idk.. movie does not explain so I can't either! Characters are also flat and lifeless!
The movie though commits the ultimative sin by showing us the demon in his full form! This eliminates all horror as the demon is a floating black mass of bad CGI with 3D effects! It really pulls you out! The first movie was great cause it was realistic! No effects or anything! This movie though has a lot of CGI effects!
This is just a cheap horror movie found footage style! No where near anything good about the first movie!
The story and plot is nonsens and boring as it tries to connect this movie with the third! Characters move into the house, watches a tape from the third movie and then portal opens.. ot something! Idk.. movie does not explain so I can't either! Characters are also flat and lifeless!
The movie though commits the ultimative sin by showing us the demon in his full form! This eliminates all horror as the demon is a floating black mass of bad CGI with 3D effects! It really pulls you out! The first movie was great cause it was realistic! No effects or anything! This movie though has a lot of CGI effects!
This is just a cheap horror movie found footage style! No where near anything good about the first movie!
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